Cristiano Ronaldo announced his return to Manchester United by stealing the show with two goals in a 4-1 win over Newcastle which took Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side top of the table.
Twelve years and 124 days after his last Premier League goal, against Manchester City in May 2009, the Portugal international was back on the scoresheet in first-half added time.
Only Matt Jansen (13 years and 187 days between 1993 and 2006) has gone longer between goals in the competition.
It was one of the easiest goals Ronaldo could ever want to score and owed as much to his experience as it did to Freddie Woodman’s mishandling.
The Newcastle goalkeeper fumbled Mason Greenwood’s deflected shot and Ronaldo, gambling on an error, was rewarded with a simple tap-in.
Javier Manquillo looked to have spoiled the party with only the second goal of his career – and first for more than four years – from a counter-attack but within six minutes Ronaldo had reclaimed the headlines, although questions were again asked of Woodman with the shot going between his legs.
Bruno Fernandes made it a Portuguese treble for United by firing home from 25 yards before Jesse Lingard’s excellent finish in added time.
Manchester City moved into second as Bernardo Silva’s first Premier League goal since February was enough to give them the points at Leicester.
What a day 🤗
What a result 💪
WHAT A TEAM ❤️#MUFC | #MUNNEW— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 11, 2021
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After a goalless first hour £100million (€107 million) man Jack Grealish combined with Joao Cancelo and despite Caglar Soyuncu making a good block the ball fell kindly to the Portuguese who reacted quickest to poke home.
Top spot was vacated by Tottenham after Crystal Palace ended the league leaders’ 100% start as Odsonne Edouard enjoyed a dream debut to give Patrick Vieira his first win as Eagles manager in the early kick-off.
Spurs defender Japhet Tanganga’s dismissal for two yellow cards just before the hour was followed by Wilfried Zaha’s 76th-minute penalty and two late strikes from Edouard in the final 10 minutes
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored Arsenal’s first goal of the season as the Gunners finally got off the mark with a 1-0 win against Norwich.
In the battle of the bottom two sides it was the hosts who came out on top as, after more than five hours without a league goal, the Gabon international took advantage of Nicolas Pepe hitting both posts in the same frantic attack to score from close range.
Watford defender Francisco Sierralta’s 74th-minute own goal and a debut goal for Hee Chan Hwang secured a 2-0 win for Wolves at Vicarage Road.
The visitors initially benefited from a short corner whipped into the six-yard area which the Chilean headed past his own goalkeeper, before Hwang scrambled home the second.
Leandro Trossard’s low shot snatched a last-gasp 1-0 win for Brighton at Brentford.
West Ham’s trip to Southampton finished goalless, with Michail Antonio seeing red deep into stoppage time for a second yellow card offence.
